The present invention relates to a new and distinctive cultivar of Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens Hawkeri, commercially known as New Guinea Impatiens, and known by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Ovation Redxe2x80x99. Ovation Red was developed in a controlled breeding program by crossing Prepona, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,150 (seed parent) with Mikkelsen Seedling No. 95-310-1 (pollen parent). The pollen parent is a proprietary breeding line which has not been sold or made publicly available in this country.
Asexual reproduction carried out by the inventor in Lompoc, Calif. by terminal or stem cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.
The following combination of characteristics distinguishes the new Impatiens from both its parent varieties and other cultivated Impatiens of this type known and used in the floriculture industry:
1. Ovation Red has deep, bright red flowers similar in color to Prepona (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,150) and a shade lighter than Celebration Deep Red (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,521).
2. Ovation Red has a larger flower diameter (7.0 to 7.5 cm) than either Prepona or Celebration Deep Red (6.5 to 7.0 cm).
3. Ovation Red has bright green leaves which are similar to those of Celebration Deep Red but much darker than the yellow-green leaves of Prepona.
4. Ovation Red and Celebration Deep Red have a similar leaf length (9 to 10 cm) and width (3.0 to 3.5), which is smaller in length and width than Prepona (11 to 12 cm long and 4 cm wide), on an average mature leaf.
5. Ovation Red has a more mounded growth habit than Prepona and Celebration Deep Red and is more compact than Celebration Deep Red and similar to Prepona.
6. The underside of the leaves of Ovation Red and Prepona have a red-purple color to the midrib and veins while Celebration Deep Red has green veins and midrib.
7. Ovation Red retains its growth habit and flowering under high temperature and light conditions while Prepona and Celebration Deep Red lose plant habit and flowering under the same conditions.
8. Ovation Red has a reddish-purple ovary color, while Prepona and Celebration Deep Red both have green colored ovaries.
9. Ovation Red has a heavy reddish cast to the stem which is similar to Prepona, but Celebration Deep Red has a green stem with a reddish cast in the area of the node.
10. The small flower buds of Ovation Red have a reddish cast while Prepona and Celebration Deep Red have a green bud color.